Be different...

Be different...act normal.

As I was wasting my time today reading a parenting magazine (that I only subscribe to because it is free and it has good coupons in it occasionally) I came across an article called "Who wants to be normal anyway?" It talked about how today's family isn't about having a normal setup. You might be the single working mother or the same sex family next door. Unfortunately, only 17% of households in 2010 qualified as "traditional" with an employed male husband, female homemaker and children.

I think people write these types of articles to try and make themselves feel better because deep down, they really know what they are missing out on. There is a reason that you have to have both a man and a woman to create a child together. Now if people would only realize that you need a man and a woman to create a great family together too. So I offer up the challenge to be different...act normal. Because, who wants to be normal anyway? I do!

Naptime

My little love bug is napping and I have an hour and a half before I have to pick Juliette up from school. Do I take a quick nap myself? Or do I put Josh in the jogging stroller and go for a run. Maybe I should finally hop in the shower and get dressed for the day? Or do I finish the laundry, or start making dinner?

Such is my daily dilemma.

Breakfast in bed

Juliette woke up today at 8:00 am sharp - as usual. I told her she could go watch some tv while i tried to get a few more minutes of sleep after being up four times during the night. I can never really go back to sleep, but rather lay there half awake listening to what she is doing in the other room. Most of the time I can figure out what she is doing from the little random noises she makes. This morning was no different. I could hear her in the kitchen working on something. I figured she was just getting herself something to eat. A few minutes later I heard her come into my room and put something down and leave. A few minutes later she came back again, standing at the edge of my bed smiling. I rolled over and asked what she was doing. With a proud grin on her face she held up a small blue IKEA bowl holding tuna fish and said, "Mom, I made breakfast for you!" She set it down on my nightstand and ran over and got the bag of tortilla chips she had brought to the room earlier.

I could feel tears in my eyes as I thought about how much thought and effort she put into trying to make me something that she knows I like to eat and that she could figure out how to do all by herself. How did my little Juliette grow up to be such a tenderhearted and independant girl? I hope I will never forget this wonderful moment of having a tuna fish breakfast in bed.

10 months

I haven't been much of a journal keeper lately. But I know that I will want to remember the richness of my life during this wonderful time and it will be fading into the far corners of my mind not too long from now. So here is a synopsis of the little things I am loving right now.

I love that Josh is fully mobile now. He has mastered his crawling (no more belly-flop-sliding crawl) and is off to explore and discover the entire house.

I love that he isn't afraid to be in a room all by himself when I need to leave him for a minute.

I love how he has discovered the toilet paper and will stand there and unroll the entire thing laughing.

I love how he stands up in his crib with a big smile when I come in to get him.

I love how he gets impatient when I don't feed him fast enough. He will smack his hand on the tray of his highchair to let me know he is waiting and that I need to move faster.

I love how he tries to rock back and forth in his highchair when he likes what I am feeding him (until he hits his head and cries.)

I love how Juliette can make him belly laugh while we are riding in the car together and the special bond the two of them have.

I love how he already seems to know how to push Juliette's buttons.

I love that he is happy to have me brush his two little teeth, and always laughs when I do.

I love how he gives me open mouth kisses when he sees somthing that I am eating that he wants.

I love how he likes to sing along with the hymns at church or when I am singing to him before bed.

I love how he tries to help me close the door and turn off the light before he takes a nap.

I love how he grunts and makes little boy noises.

I love how he sucks his lips in and looks like a little old man who forgot to put his dentures in that day.

I love how he kicks his feet in the water to splash when I'm giving him a bath.

I love how he already knows how to smile and ham it up whenever I get the camera out.

I love how he purses his lips together like hw is going to give you a big kiss and then blows and spits.

I love how he is so easy going and will go to anyone and is pretty happy-go-lucky.

Life is good right now. Now if could just get him to sleep through the night again...!